I’ve done several profiles on our shops in The Cajun Village, and even a few blogs on our other buildings in the Village that have no one to call them “home.” Some of those “other” buildings have plenty of history of their own, but they lack a local Louisiana artist, entrepreneur, or businessman as well as a business to form them into a successful business enterprise. So this post is a shout out to all of y’all in hopes that you may know the perfect to set up shop in one of our vacant boutique shops here in The Cajun Village. Please give us a call (225-473-3007 ext. 4), send us an email, or comment on this post if you or someone you know are interested in starting a brand new business at The Cajun Village!

– Firehouse Gallery & Photo Museum: The Firehouse Gallery & Photo Museum has functioned as an art gallery and history museum in the past. Cajun Village visitors are drawn to the building by the antique fire truck parked under overhang. A great shop for a history lover and local Louisiana entrepreneur!

– Leblanc House: Circa 1900, the Leblanc House is originally from Gonzales. The rear of the building faces Hwy. 22. Great for signage and advertising your business to passersby!

– Gator House: The Gator House, also known as Quarter House, was built c. 1820 in Union, LA, just downriver from The Cajun Village. It is adjacent to the gator habitat where our two native Louisiana adult alligators reside and sees a lot of foot traffic from visitors coming to see Big Boy and Nubby!

– Manresa Kitchen: Built c. 1860 in Convent, LA, the Manresa Kitchen is also known as the “Manresa Retreat House.” The building was originally located on the grounds of Manresa House of Retreat. It is a cozy little shop with lots of history attached to it!

We have a quite a few shops that are permanent residents at The Cajun Village. They are open Tuesday-Sunday from 9am-5pm. However, there is one vendor who only visits on the weekends – O’Henry Cypress Rocking Chairs. Henry and Rosie Seal set up their stand every Saturday and Sunday at The Cajun Village, bringing a whole trailer full of beautifully handcrafted cypress furniture. Normally, the Seals sell their cypress furniture at H & R Woodworks in Holden, Louisiana, which is in between Hammond and Livingston (address is 31060 Hwy. 441, Holden, LA 70744) and about 2 hours from The Cajun Village.

O’Henry Cypress Rocking Chairs specializes in rocking chairs, tables, swings, and gliders. Each piece of furniture is handcrafted out of Louisiana cypress. The Seal’s also make furniture out of cedar as well. Their handmade chairs are perfect for passing the time on the porch, in the lawn, or even in your den. Give O’Henry Cypress Rocking Chairs a call (225-5673916) for more information or pay them a visit this weekend at The Cajun Village!

The Cajun Village has many buildings, almost all of which are restored and occupied by one boutique shop or another. However, there is one historic vernacular building tucked back into the woods by the Gator Habitat: the Graves House that has yet to be restored. Originally built in 1910, it was moved up Hwy. 22 from Darrow, LA a few years ago. This week, we began our latest restoration project, starting with tearing out the old, rotten floorboards and replacing them with old pine tongue-and-groove floorboards salvaged from another historic Louisiana building that was being torn down. Just a few photos today, but I will update y’all on the progress over the next few months. Going to be a fun project!

There is a large pond tucked back in the woods behind The Cajun Village. To get to it, you walk between Oliphant Images and the Old Tractor barn, down a freshly cut path through the swamp forest lined with young cypress trees. As it winds its way through oaks and tupelo trees, a feeling of seclusion overcomes you. Nothing but you, the birds, the forest, a peaceful quiet away from the world outside.

Just as soon as you started down the path, it opens up out of the forest into pond about the size of a football field. The pond is surrounded by some secondary growth (Sorrento and most of the swamp land between New Orleans and Baton Rouge was prime-time cypress logging territory until the logging of cypress was banned in the 1920s). The Roberts have diligently landscaped around the pond for the last two year. They’ve planted live oaks, water oaks, the aforementioned cypress, citrus trees, grass.

The goal is to create a park-like setting back in the woods. A perfect place to wander to with a to-go cup of café au lait and belly full of beignets from the Coffee House. A place where you can commune with nature and escape the hustle and bustle of the real world for a few minutes. In fact, the Roberts just installed wood duck boxes around the pond in hopes that we attract some future short-term winged tenants.

There aren’t too many parks to be found in Ascension Parish where you can wander around and while away an afternoon. This is mostly due to the layout of the parish – it’s about half rural, half developed, but it has no real cohesiveness in terms of community areas. It truly is a vehicle-oriented area, unless you are in Donaldsonville on the West Bank, which is such an architecturally cohesive town that parks abound throughout it. Which is why the pond at The Cajun Village is such a blessing. It has been wrested from swampland in which it sat, beautified, and paired with a unique set of boutique shops that already have you walking about and exploring.

Next time you stop by The Cajun Village, make sure you take a peek back through the woods at the pond – it’s a perfect place to walk off big bowl of Red Beans and Rice!

When September rolls around in Louisiana, two football teams take hold of the hearts and minds of the Cajuns and Creoles that inhabit our great state: the New Orleans Saints and the LSU Fightin’ Tigers. All other weekend activities are planned around the games on Saturday and Sunday, and it’s hard to go a day without seeing some form of Saints or Tigers paraphernalia.

It’s usually beneficial to try and blend in with the locals when you’re on vacation, and the best way to do that if you’re in Baton Rouge or New Orleans on an Autumn weekend is stop by the Cajun Shop in The Cajun Village. The Cajun Shop has plenty of Tigers and Saints gear, as well as hundreds of other Cajun doo-dads.

There’s a still a week left before the first LSU game of the season against TCU, and 2 weeks until the Saints’ first regular season game against the Atlanta Falcons, so there’s plenty of time for you to get the gear you need!